Earls of Cromartie > [NSLBLANK]

28 THE CROM ARTIE CORRESPONDENCE.
farr upon promishes that produced noe performance, and we know ther has
not a few been made of them to yourself, as well as to ous ; and all wee
suppose to the same effect. Therfor, my Lord, let ous intreat you, as the
principall pillar this familie leans most on, that yee concur and joyne with
ous, in the preserwation of it ; and what your grandfather did happily begin
wee hope yee will putt a close to it : since our endeavors will not be wanting
to second yow, be the hazard newer so great of our lives and fortunes. Bot
if, my Lord, at this werie instant, this be not adwerted to, wee sie inevit-
ably the ruine of it, as this on consideration wee offer yow will infallabilly
demonstrat. What if Sir James (which God forbid) shortly dy, his Ladyes
joynture, the great provision of her son, and the patrimonies of the first
manage, the wast debts owing without them, the necessitie of the present
education of the air of the family and the rest of the children God has blest
Sir Donald with : if all these should at once fall on, as it would in this cace,
what would become of the air and of all of ous, that through the decay of the
stock could not bot wither as branches ? "When, my Lord, you have pon-
dered these things, wee hope you will not think it unfit, that wee come now
to practice what for the most part before has been bot in the theorie.
Therfore wee have made this adress to your Lordship, that yee may send
ous, as wee hear yee and Pitcarlie was noblie resolved befor, a power be law
to wairand ous to goe about this waightie affair. Wee fear little if we have
(as we doubt not) your patronage in this ; and dreads the less our success
that wee have gained Sir Donald to our purpose : and wee will doe him this
justice, that from the werie begining he alwayes prest this methode ; which
if followed, things had not come to this sad pass. Wee will not reflect on
that method led at Edinbrough, bot this much with fridome wee will say,
that if wee followed but the same the work wold be endless, and a dwyning
disease would be put upon the family, of which at last it could not but dy ;